WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Cíara Forde (Quincy, Mass.) was named to the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Second Team, while Mallory Cottam (Hope, R.I.) was tabbed a Third Team selection, it was announced today by the league.
Forde earns a Second Team nod for the third straight year for the Sharks. The senior was among the league's point and goal leaders throughout the season and ranked fourth among conference players with 28 points and 13 goals. Her goal and point totals both rank as the seventh-most in a season for a Simmons player. The midfielder tallied 10 goals in league games, which ranked second among GNAC players in league-only matches. A graduate of North Quincy High School, Forde was one of the league's most consistent scorers, notching at least one point in 10 contests, including a seven-match point-streak from September 12-29, which was the longest such streak by a Shark since 2007. Forde tallied multiple goals on four occasions, including in three consecutive games from September 22-26. She was named the GNAC Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks for the weeks of September 17-23 and September 24-30 and was one of just two players to earn the honor more than once during the season. In addition, the midfielder netted three game-winning markers, including the game-decider to defeat eventual GNAC champion Saint Joseph's College (Maine) in a regular-season match on September 22 in Standish, Maine.
The Physical Therapy major ends her career among Simmons' all-time scoring leaders, ranking sixth with 75 career points and fourth with 32 goals and is also 10th with 11 lifetime assists. She stands seventh in games played with 73 and her eight game-winning goals rank as the second-most for a Shark in the last 15 years. Forde has performed well in the classroom as well, being named to the GNAC All-Academic Team in both years that she has been eligible.
Cottam secures a spot on the Third Team to mark her first career all-conference award in soccer. The senior started all 17 matches for Simmons in the backfield and helped the Sharks' defense post a 1.33 goals against average to rank fifth among GNAC teams. Cottam also helped Simmons post four shutouts and limit opponents to one or fewer goals in nine matches. The Scituate High School product contributed offensively for the Sharks as well, establishing a career-high with five points on a goal and three assists. The defender assisted on both goals of a 2-1 road victory over University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on September 19 and also registered a career-best three points with a goal and an assist in a 4-0 win over Rivier University on September 12.
The Rhode Island native wraps up a four-year soccer tenure at the Fenway school that saw her play in 52 matches, while making 25 starts. The Exercise Science/Physical Therapy major tallied 10 points on two goals and six points and becomes part of a select club for Simmons, being named All-Conference in two different sports after her Third Team nod for lacrosse last spring.
The Sharks finished the season with a 8-8-1 overall record, including 6-5-1 in conference action and was eliminated in the GNAC Championship Tournament Quarterfinals at Saint Joseph's (Maine) on a goal with 6.1 seconds left to play.